Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Procrastination

Yes, I'm a procrastinator. I signed up for 2 BPS classes - Donna Downey and Lisa Damrosch. The Lisa Damrosch one started last week, the Product Playground. So I finally got around to doing my week 1 layout for her class and here it is. A little plain for me, but I like it. I keep thinking it needs something more, but I'm going to leave it.

I need to find some cute little recipe stand or something to set my layouts on. That or get my butt in gear and figure out how to scan and stitch.

My Donna Downey class starts Thursday. Can't wait for that.

Monday, June 26, 2006

Happy Belated Birthday to me!!


I can give gifts to myself right? Oh, who cares, I gifted myself today.
Purchased a few things from the Preserving the Past shows on QVC. One item was supposed to be shown, but they changed the programming at the last minute and this item wasn't shown. Because I'm lucky enough to stalk Donna Downeys blog, I know these things..... :)

So, I purchased one of the snap boxes.
I'll find some place for it. I think it'll go on top of my desk. I can hide all of my Prima flowers in it and get rid of those dang bottles!!!

And then I couldn't resist THIS bargain - thanks to the enablers on 2 Peas this morning. I wasn't quick enough to get it, but I'm on a wait list. I have good luck with WL stuff, so hopefully these come my way.

Heidi Swapp Chipboard letters - 10 sets!!!!



Happy Monday!

Okay, so I'm not really a Monday person. I was just trying to sound happy. One of those reverse psychology deals. Its not working.

First, the 2 peas Blog Challenge: What Online Shopping sites do you frequent?

Well, are you ready for the list?

1. Croppin' Paradise http://www.croppinparadise.com
2. Keeping Memories Alive http://www.keepingmemoriesalive.com
3. Scrap Your Trip http://www.scrapyourtrip.com
4. Tropical Scrapbooks http://www.tropicalscrapbooking.com/
5. Scrapbook Pal http://www.scrapbookpal.com (Great deals on adhesive - Kokuyo dot rollers)
6. Scrap Arts http://www.scraparts.com (Bulk buttons)
7. Scrapbooking Warehouse http://store.scrapbooking-warehouse.com (Good deals on Cats Eye Chalks)
8. Scrapbook Oasis - http://www.thescrapbookoasis.typepad.com/ - My LSS rocks!

Friday, June 23, 2006

Happy Birthday to me!

Okay so it was Wednesday. I'm a little behind. But I hate birthdays. I'm glad its over now.
I did get some awesome presents though. My Epson scanner, the one that scans negatives and slides. Pretty awesome. I'm installing that baby now.
And to steal a line from Donna Downey, FRIENDS ROCK! Check out this little gift from my really good friend that I've known for.....well, almost forever.



A pug magnet. And a card. I love pugs. (I type this as Rascal lays at my feet snoring.......)

Too awesome. He's a Kings fan so that means he's one of the most awesome people on earth. :)


Speaking of hockey......the draft starts tonight. So, the rebuilding of the Kings is underway. We still have a few key positions to fill in the front office as well as some player movement that needs to take place. I have a few players that I would like to see bundled up in some package for a veteran defenceman or a veteran goaltender. I feel safe in my assumption that since Jason Labarbera still has one year left on his contract and Garon doesn't, that I'll be wearing my JLB jersey to Staples next year. By the sounds of the rumors, Garon is packaged up with Frolov and Brown in a deal to get Roberto Luongo from Florida. Frolov, well, I'd love to keep him, however, he's a sloth. I'm prepared to give him one more year under the new coaching staff to see if he actually is the bright player that we were all promised he is. Brown, same thing. Kid is a tank. And he can score, he proved that at the World Cup, but can he do it consistantly on the NHL level? Garon, he saved our asses several times last year, but some people question whether or not he can last the entire season. He kind of petered out in January. Well, so did the rest of the team. If JLB had stayed in his 'beginning of the season' mindset, he might have proved to be the #1 last year. I'll have to post a pic of my McDreamy, Jason Labarbera in a future post.

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Thursday Blogger Challenge

Today's Challenge 1. FIRST NAME? Erica
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Not that I know about.
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? ???
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Sometimes. If I take my time, it comes out nicer.
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Honey Ham
6. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Not yet.
7. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yes.
8. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? No.
9. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? YES!
10. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes.
11. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? No.
(Where did 12 go?)
13. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No.
14. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Physically, not really. Mentally, sometimes.
15. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Chocolate Peanut Butter Chunk
16. SHOE SIZE? 10
17. RED OR PINK? Red
18. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My brown eyes.
19. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Too many to list
20. WHEN AND WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Long Beach, CA 1977
21. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? No shoes and I'm wearing a pair of boxer shorts. Hey, its my day off.
22. WHAT IS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Drank a glass of milk
23. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Ipod - just a mix of songs
24 IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Blue
25. FAVORITE SMELL? A good smelling man. Fresh air at the beach. The ice at Staples.
26. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED WITH ON THE PHONE? Husband
27. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU MEET? If they smile or not and their eyes.
28. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? None I'm willing to admit. :)
29. FAVORITE DRINK? Milk
30. FAVORITE SPORT? He he he he. Hockey.
31. HAIR COLOR? Brown
32. EYE COLOR? Brown
33. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Yes
34. FAVORITE FOOD? I love almost everything.
35. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDING? Happy ending.
36. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Bride and Prejudice
37. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? grey
38. SUMMER OR WINTER? Winter
39. HUGS OR KISSES? Both
40. FAVORITE DESSERT? Anything chocolate
41. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? The Last Templar
42. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Picture of my dog
43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? My dog snoring, the crowd cheering on the Kings at Staples.
44. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Rolling Stones
45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? London, England
46. IF YOU COULD PICK ANY TWO PEOPLE TO HAVE DINNER WITH, WHO WOULD THEY BE? Do I have to chose?

More to come later!

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Twice in one day!

I know! I haven't blogged in a while. Have lots to add.

So I stopped by the pack and mail place at lunch. Needed to get a box in the mail and a book of stamps. They always ask which stamps I want and I usually go with the flags because, well, because there just aren't any stamps out there that really say "pick me! pick me!" So, today, she's digging for the flags and I jut *happen* to take a look at their display of available stamps and see this..........

Yes, that would be a Curious George stamp set. Well, its the Childrens Book set so I have the "Where the Wild things are", "Charlotte's Web" etc set. So, now that I have these in my hot little hands, I need more. Checked out USPS and looky there. A book and Stamp Set. Happy Birthday to me!! I'm a Curious George freak and I had to have this. I'll be adding pics this weekend of my Curious George birthday party. Yes, the party is for me.

Congratulations Carolina!

Wow! The Hurricanes won it all. Pretty exciting. Being a Western Conference girl, it would have been nice to see Edmonton win, but after some of the grandstanding by Laraque.....well, he just kind of ruined it for me. He's the one reason I'm glad they didn't win. I feel bad for Pronger, Peca, Pisani and the rest of the team, but hey! Hedican FINALLY has his name on that thing! He came so close in 94 and it killed me! Well, what really killed me was the fact that my favorite player, John McIntyre (played with Hedican in Vancouver) didn't get his name engraved.
So, now the long summer begins. A long, very long 3 months for true hockey fans.

And let me say something about network television - they should never, ever be enabled to a pro sports championship game if they don't care about showing everything. By 'everything' I mean, the skating around of the Cup, the locker room party, interviews with players and staff etc. That 'everything'. I got all of 5 minutes of the Cup before NBC cut over to Extra. Because Christina Aguilera's photo shoot is more important. I had to search other channels and finally found a teeny bit of coverage on ESPN News. By the time I found it, they were done talking about it and were moving over to World Cup Soccer. Okay, who cares. No one has won anything yet, so its not a big story. Stanley Cup. The Stanley freakin' Cup is a big story. Sports oldest trophy and most revered piece of metal and they're talking about soccer. Sorry if you dont' share my enthusiasm for the greatest sport ever played and the most amazing athletes to play. Guys who have nerve damage in their necks and do whatever it takes to play again, guys who will do whatever it takes to win the game. Blood, sweat and tears. There was so much action in that game last night, a true hockey game. Not some 8-1 blowout like Gary Bettman wants to see. How exciting is a high scoring game? Its not. But a close game, like 2-1 is always exciting, on the edge of your seat exiting. Pee your pants exciting. Give me a one goal game anyday and I'll show you that it has more excitment than a blowout. Any day.

And Rod Brind'amour just taking the Cup. Amazing. Gary Bettman barely opened his mouth. As soon as the Cup hit the table, the Canes were drooling. They wanted it. They'd won it. It was their's. And Bettman had to come out with his microphone looking oh so important, look at me, I'm the Commissioner - blech. I'm so glad Rod just skated up and took it. I loved it. And the F bomb that was dropped. You couldn't have planned it any better than that. Bettman didn't even get to get his picture taken with the Cup. Dude, get a clue, you did not win this. You sat in your comfy office all year long and played 'Commissioner Gordan' to the fullest. No one wants to hear your nasily voice drone on and on about a game you could care less about and know absolutely nothing about. Did anyone notice that he didn't have a mic for the Conn Smythe trophy? He looked a little ticked about that. Made sure he had a mic for the Cup but he didn't get to use it. :)

So, congratulations Carolina on a great series and a great season. 3 long months, but we have the draft and Free Agency on July 1st to keep us all busy.

So, the Tuesday Blog Challenge:
What's on your summer reading list?

Whatever looks good on Barnes and Noble. :)
I have a couple that I need to get too.
Mostly, I'll be studying up for some Microsoft Certifications that I need to get in before September. Can't see myself sitting in Staples Center between periods reading up on the latest in Group Policy and Active Directory.

Willbe posting some pics tomorrow. I finished my Concroption Kit for Fathers Day. A little late, but who's counting? Sort of copied some of Ali E.'s ideas, but I used more of the BG Hang 10 paper and ideas of my own. Loved her idea to stagger the page sizes.

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Wednesday Blogger Challenge and other things.....

Wednesdays 2peas Blogger Challenge for today is a funny story from your wedding or other important date.

I don't really have any funny stories from my wedding. I did cry. I didn't intend to cry. It just sort of hit me. The wedding coordinator at the church ushered all of the girls to the door and down the aisle leaving me alone with my dad. Thats when it hit me. I was getting married and I had to speak in front of 100 people. Public speaking isn't my forte and I panicked. Big time panic. My dad of course, had no clue what to do and I remember him trying to figure out what was wrong. Nothing was wrong except that my nerves were in high gear. Since we were on a tight schedule, the coordinator was trying to rush me down the aisle. The only thing my dad could think of was to grab the entire box of kleenex and stuff it in his pocket. So here we come, down the aisle. My dad has a large wad of kleenex in his tux pocket, I'm bawling for no reason and the photographer is capturing all of this on film. To this day, whenever I see the minister, he remembers me as the 'crying bride'. Not exactly something you want to be remembered for.
Of course, my poor husband thought I was having second thoughts and might run. Poor guy. He held my hand the entire time and made sure I was okay. He also got to share the handful of wadded up kleenex that I had to wipe the tears.
Here's the kicker. All this time, I'm thinking "these people are staring at me. I can't speak!" I found out later that my little cousin, the ring bearer, was kicking back on the floor, pillow spinning on his index finger (a la Globetrotters basketball). Everyone was watching him and trying not to laugh. If someone had only told me that no one was paying attention, I could have relaxed a little.
The reception, well, the reception is another story. I'm a cheap drunk. All it took was a few glasses of champagne and I was dancing around the dance floor without a care in the world.

Sooo, Game 5 tonight. If Caronlina wins, they win the whole thing. It Edmonton can pull out a win, they force a Game 6 in Edmonton. Personally, it needs to go 7 gaes to be a true contest. So, we'll see......

I've been busy playing with my new camera. Awesome toy. Loving it.

Well, my coworker called in sick, yet again. I think this makes it the 4th sick day in 5 weeks now. Our schedules overlap one day a week, Wednesdays and he seems to find reasons not to come in 75% of the time. When he is here, he slacks and disappears for several hours at a time. That leaves me with the majority of the work and makes for a very long day.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Just a little.....


Something cute to start the day. Who doesn't need something cute? This is my dog (my son) taking up the bottom half of the bed. He's quite a bed hog. Since my schedule change and me spending more time at home, he's has become 'my' dog. He sleeps on my side of the bed more, cuddles with me more, sits on my lap more etc. If you own a pug, then you know about the required 'together' time. And yes, that is a hockey stick in the background. My favorite player gave that to me after a game.

My monthly kit from Poppy Ink came last night. I love the CD tin. Can't wait to decorate it.
















I love getting new kits. Always something fun to play with. Someone also asked for pictures of my 'fake' Jenni Bowlin kit. If you were one of the many unlucky people who did not get to purchase one of her kits, check out these pictures. Jenni is awesome enough to list the entire contents of her kits each month. I checked around and managed to find a lot of it on two websites. The good thing is, brown and green seem to be one of the major color trends right now, so you can always find stuff to match. I've added a few things here that I've found during shopping excursions.















I could not find the ribbon she had in her kit, but I did find some that goes with the papers.

And finally....

The BIG news of the day......

Something all scrappers love.....

A new toy! Yes, my husband broke down last night and took me to Costco. He was so good at holding me off, but he broke down. My mother is going to shake her head at me and then tell him that the word 'no' is okay to use and that he needs to use it more frequently. I don't know how I'd take it if he really started to say no....
Anyways, heres the pics of my new toy. The Canon Digital Rebel XT. This is my first Digital SLR so it should be interesting. I haven't used an SLR in years. 12 years to be exact. Mr. Zoggs photo class in High School. Scary. That was 12 years ago! Let's see if I can remember anything that he taught me. If not, I'll be signing myself up for some classes!

Sunday, June 11, 2006

Sundays

I used to like Sundays, that was until I started to work. I regret taking this schedule sometimes. I miss my husband. I miss sleeping in, making breakfast and hanging out with my dog. Sundays were always quiet days made for relaxing, going to Best Buy and making dinner together. Now, I'm stuck here. It could be worse, I guess. My coworkers could be here. Human contact would be nice, but then again, no one is looking for me. No one needs my assistance. No one needs a question answered...... Still, if I could switch my schedule, I would do it in a heartbeat. Besides, the moron who shares my work schedule is a slacker. They should let him work the weekends since there is virtually nothing to do here.

Saturday and Sunday Blogger Challenges:

Saturday: Have you ever met anyone famous?

Yes! I live in LA! They're everywhere. I've met several hockey players. Lots of them! I sat next to Mel Gibson on a plane once. My mom always gets a kick out of this story. When I was in college, they booked a return flight to NY after my very short Thanksgiving break. I had to be at the airport before God was up - not my favorite thing in the world. But I got there and boarded my overbooked flight back to NY. It wasn't too bad, I was surrounded by hot college guys and a couple of them were on ther way back to West Point. Men in uniform....mmm...... I digress. So, the plane is packed and there is no empty seats except the one next to me. So, the hottie one seat over made the comment of "Maybe we'll get lucky!" All nasty thoughts aside, I knew he'd just ruined it for us. We were guaranteed a seat partner before this pressurized tube left the ground. So we waited. And we waited. Still no one, but we weren't leaving yet. Finally some very attractive, older gentleman comes dashing up the aisle. Nice eyes, a pretty blue color. Nice shoulders, strong looking. Of course, this is our seat partner.
Now, do you ever get that feeling that you've seen someone before? You know, that nagging feeling? So, some time during the flight, as I'm reading the airline magazine, I come across a picture of what appears to be the man sitting next to me. You guessed it, Mr. Braveheart was my tardy seat partner. It took a lot of nerve-getting to talk to him. Just before we landed I was able to mumble a request for an autograph and a compliment. Something every man wants to hear - "You look really good in a skirt." All I could think about was the kilt from Braveheart.

Leonardo Di Caprio was on my cousins flight when she came out to visit once. All of the daytime soap stars were on the flight. They had the Daytime Emmys' the night before in NY and they were all flying back that night. My cousin had brought us some Malomars and he noticed them. He didn't really do anything for me back then - he was too skinny - but I got his autograph for my friend who was in love with him. Too bad she screwed me over later that year. I should have kept that autograph!

There are others, but at this time of morning, they escape me.

Sundays Challenge: 5 Tools I can't live without:

My paper trimmer
Adhesive
Craft Knife
Computer
Cats Eye Chalks

Just basic tools. If I had too, I could complete layouts using just these items and some paper. Of course, I'm a technique fool so I have everything and like to try it at least once. So far, sewing is the only thing I can't quite seem to do. Of course, I've never been able to sew. I flunked that class in Junior High and I'm still convinced the teacher passed me so she didn't have to look at any more of sad projects. I had a friend who was awesome at his and sucked at cooking. We did trade skills a bit. I used to pay her to sew for me while I did all of the cooking the next semester. I should have saved the outfir we had to make for a final project. It would have made for some good laughs as an adult.

Only one other thing for this slow Sunday. The Hockey Game. Okay, my hockey friends, here it is. My review of the game.

Where was Carolina? Were they scared by all of the noice the Canadian fans made? I think the National Anthems were awesome. Where else would you see the fans singing the words to the anthem loud enough that the actual anthem singer didn't have to do it? Only in Canada. Really showed up the Americans if you asked me. No booing this time. Sometimes I forget, living down here in America that hockey just isn't widely accepted. In my world, its the greatest thing.
So, back to Carolina. Where were they? They seemed non-existant last night. Markkanen was amazing in goal. I don't think anyone realized that the Oilers could suck up the energy of that building and still win a game without Roloson. I think a lot of it has to do with Pronger. "I just told them to play the game and not worry about it." When asked by the announcers what he said to his team before the game, that was his response. They sure played like it was Game 1 again and they weren't down in the series. This series could very well go 7 games, although I had Carolina in 6. You heard it here first.

And what would a post game report be without the moronic rehash of the idiot that is Mick McGeough-who from here on out will be referred to as 'McPoo' because thats what his calling style is, poo. I have more respect for Kerry Fraser these days, let me tell you! The Kings were stuck with a duo of Koharski and 'McPoo' this year and thats one scary combo. Several tacos short of a combo plate. Several unsharpened knives in the drawer. This topic is closed - for now - I can feel my blood pressure rising.

At least the fans don't have to wait two days before the next game this time. I hate long layoffs and hockey fans, there is a very long layoff comig soon. The summers drag for me. Sure, we have the occasional snippet as teams sign players, but nothing as exciting as the 82 games of fury.

And now, I'm reading that the Kings have signed Ron Hextall, but no one has made it public. Why all the secrecy? Did you or didn't you? Who cares if you did? Well, I care, but they act as if they're leaking the secret handshake of the Boy Scouts or something. Attention AEG: The fans are waiting with baited breath. Let's get the rebuilding of this team underway!

Friday, June 9, 2006

Scrapologie kits




If you haven't seen these kits, you SOOO need to head over there and check them out. They put together some of the most amazing kits. (See my links to go directly to her site).

Some pics of the June kit...... You can see more on the website.
















Check out that ribbon! Non-stop ribbon and papers that take your breath away. Can't wait to put these to good use. I'm working on that chocolate brown and green album right now and these would go perfectly......

I've had a few emails to show my scraproom - or studio so here they are. It's a little messy now, but I have a lot of projects I'm working on.

Todays Project....


Wow! Major project here. My mother came over today and we started sorting through all of my grandfathers hockey 'stuff'. We have all of those old scrapbooks that date back to the early 40's all the way to the late 70's. All filled with his hockey career. So exciting. But its all sorted out now and in piles by team. That took several hours.
Now, the fun begins. We had to hit Kinko's to get color copies made of each page. The early scrapbookers used tape and paste to adhere the newspaper articles to the page and no matter what I can think of, nothing will get them off. Our only option is to make a color copy of each page and then trim the articles. A costly project, but well worth it. I want these memories to last forever. I want my kids and my grandkids to be able to see what he was - a truly amazing athlete.
Thats him with Shirley Temple. Yes, THE Shirley Temple. She was giving him some award. My grandmother likes to point out the flirty smile Shirley has. Look at that dreamy look in her eyes. My grandfather was HOT!
The other picture is from in the 70's. After he 'semi-retired' and was playing Senior Hockey (yes, there is a huge market for this. More on it later....) he was hired by the Los Angeles Kings as a Goal Judge. He's there behind the glass watching the action.



Here he is (6th from left on the bottom row) playing for the Edmonton Athletic Club Maple Leafs. Very young. I think we was 16 at the time. How awesome is this?









Here's my mother doing research. We were actually able to find some articles from newspapers in his hometown of Edmonton, Alberta. More research is needed though.


Of course, no day is complete without a trip to the store. I have a new store near me that opened a few months ago so we decided it was time to christen it. Really big store. She's still in the process of filling it but she carries the latest and greatest.

Rascal had to help. He likes to sit on a chair so he's closer to you. Poor dog had a fit when we left for a few hours. He doesn't like to be alone - but what pug does???



So, the first part of this is done. Now I can start working on the book. I just need to get it started so I can give him something for Fathers Day this year.

Once the Stanley Cup Finals are over, I'm going to need a hockey fix!!

Thursday, June 8, 2006

Go 'Canes!

Okay, I honestly didn't think they could overpower Edmonton like they have, but with Rolie out, I don't think Edmonton can stand up to the barrage of amazing shots that Carolina is dishing out. They have some awesome kids on this team. Can't wait to see if they can keep up this pace in Game 3. That'll be in Edmonton and that building is LOUD. The game will be on NBC though, so we'll be hearing different, hopefully less cheesy comments from the announcers. In the third period, I stopped counting how many times they said "The third period is going to be nasty" or "We're going to see some nasty here" or even "Edmonton is bringing the nasty". Okay guys, word of advice - just shut up. No where does it say you have to actually talk for two and a half hours. And if you are going to speak, make sure its intelligent. I'll tell you what Edmonton did bring - frustration. A team that can normally keep their cool has finally lost it. McTavish should have kept them all in line in the third period. The goaltending is whats going to get them in the end. The fans will be devastated, but when you think about it, your team made the Finals. They are the Western Conference Champs. Win or lose, you still have that to celebrate nxt year. What do I have to celebrate? Just the rebuilding of my team, a long awaited rebuilding.

So, news on my team. Exciting news. It seems that the Kings have signed Ron Hextall as our new Assistant GM. The man is a beast. I love it. He was a goalie for several teams including the Philly Flyers. Don't ever get near his crease. He's like an Italian gangster in net - He'll take off your legs if you crowd him. He can fight (and he has), he can score (he's done that a few times too) and he is not afraid to leave his crease. Maybe we should have hired him as a goaltending coach.....
And rumor has it that the Kings are zeroing in on Zdeno Chara. Chara is also a beast. A 6 foot 9 inch beast of a defensemen - something the Kings are seriously lacking in these days. But, its just a rumor so we'll see.
Jeremy Roenick is everywhere. I thought we pretty much ran him out of town on the last night, but I guess not. From some of the comments that were made, it sounds like he may be offered some kind of deal for next year. Maybe he could work for Mike Altieri in the front office.....

So, I'm off for the next three days. Benita is coming over today and my mother is coming over tomorrow. Can you say Scrapfest??? Yep! Lots of stuff to work on. Its always great to finally be able to use some of the new stuff I received during the week. Actually I haven't scrapped for a couple of weeks now so I have lots of new product to use. Last week I was with Teresa Collins. See pics below.

The My Essentials book. So cute. Chipboard cover, painted with cream paint and decorated using Teresa's Junkitz line.







My Fathers Day mantel book. Don't think my dad reads this, so I should be okay. If not, Happy Fathers Day!! I made one other one, but I haven't finished stamping it and it doesn't have any pics in it yet. One of those projects i have to work on today. I'm also working on a brown and green version of that book and now a Basic Grey one. I love this book and I don't think I'll ever run out of ways to decorate it.


So, I said I had new products. Yes I do! Lots of them and exciting ones too.

Look at the new Prima flowers, and that ribbon. Love the ribbon. I got that green and black print one from Strictly Scrapbooking in Torrance last week. Sophia has a wide range of ribbon by the yard. And not your typical ribbon by the yard either, all kinds of fabrics and prints. I hate that she's so far away and might have to plan a monthly trip up there just to raid her ribbon stash.




More Lil' Davis Stuff. Glitter Glaze, Tinsletown flowers, rubon words and chipboard letters. Noticing all of the green and brown? Thats going to be used in my green and brown Junkitz book. Can't wait to finish that. Teresa said she wanted to see pics when it was done.




Okay, Benita should be here soon. Off to scrap!

Wednesday, June 7, 2006

Just another day......

So, on http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/ this morning, the Wednesday blogger topics were:

1. What is your favorite Patterned Paper line? You know, I have so many. I love Basic Grey, Lil Davis Designs, Chery Arte and so many others. I guess thats what makes this so great. You have so many choices now compared to 5 years ago.

2. Favorite Ribbon? Once again, too many choices. Its fun to mix and match with each project.

3. Favorite embellishment? Chipboard. So many things you can do with it these days. Paint it, distress it, embellish it.......

4. Favorite Font? Since I neglect to journal on most of my layouts, I don't have one. I'm all about pounding out the pages but I hold off on journaling. Now I have a bunch of books with awesome pages and no journaling. Guess I need to get to work on that.

5. Favorite cardstock? Bazzill. Hands down. It has the widest range of colors/textures and it distresses well.

6. Favorite Rubons? Making Memories. Their rubon alphas. These make great titles and you can add flair to photos easily.

7. Favorite Alpha Stickers? I don't use these anymore. I just gave them all away to my little cousins. They are in love with scrapbooking now. I love working with 'the next generation' of scrapbookers. Just think, these kids will be designing the products in a few years.

8. Favorite Scrapbooker and why? I'm in love with Michelle Hill, Jenni Bowlin, Teresa Collins and so many others.

More to come!

Tuesday, June 6, 2006

Attn: Brian P.


Yes, this post is for you. Do you know what this picture is?
Its *most* of the stuff for your Kings album. Not quite the same products as mine, but close. I tried to find everything and well, it just can't be found again. I think I lucked out on my paper. So, this is on the project list now and will get done. Maybe in time for next season.......

Monday, June 5, 2006

Project Pics

My altered letters. I love these! Hung them up over the bed. See below for more detailed pics. I used some muted beach toned papers with some mesh stuff that looked a lot like something that would wash up on shore. I added some coordinating ribbons and embellishments. Some swarovski crystals add that bit of bling they needed.

I have several other words I'm working on. FALL, JOY, HOME etc. I'll post pics as soon as they're done.


Lots of stuff.....

Wow! What a game. Just finished watching Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals. I'm torn. I don't think I've ever liked both teams before. Edmonton, such a hard working team. 8th place in the West and look, they're in the Finals. Okay, so I really like Dwayne Roloson - Rollie the goalie. It killed me to see him struggling earlier this season with the Wild but I'm ecstatic that he could pick up his game after the trade deadline. Now, he's out for the rest of the series. Wow. What a loss for Edmonton. Craig McTavish said he thinks they can still win with their #2 and #3 goalies.
Carolina - so many guys on this team that I respect, the main one being Hedican. He's married to Kristi Yamaguchi!! So cute. He played for Vancouver in 1994 when they went to the Finals and lost to the Rangers in 7 games. Of course, my all time favorite player, John McIntyre was also on this team. I respect Hedican for his grit and integrity on the ice.
See, I'm torn. Who do I want to win? Well, if either team wins, I'll be happy. I have to say, this is the first time I haven't wanted one team eliminated more than the other. Strange.

So, for those of you that watched the game, awesome eh? Don Cherry sightings, Mark Messier guest commentating, the announcer that sounds like his head is going to explode because he's too excited. Then there's the good goaltending at both ends - Cam Ward = WOW! The penalty shot, the physicality of the game. I LOVE playoff hockey! Of course, my least favorite ref was out there tonight. McGeough. Blech. 'McPoo' is more like it. Whose idea was it to hire a referee with the same last name as a blind cartoon character??? They should be fired.

Moving on - I spent the weekend at Strictly Scrapbooking in Torrance - Wow! Awesome store. Tons of cool product - geared more towards the adult scrapper instead of the kid scrapper. I don't have kids so all of the pinks and baby blues just don't appeal to me. I need adult like papers and embellishments. This store certainly has them. If you get a chance, check it out. Sophia is awesome!! http://www.strictlyscrapbooking.com/ Then, there's Teresa. http://www.junkitz.com/designers/blogger.cfm?UserName=Collins&View=Blogz Do I need to say anymore??? Love this girl! So creative. Can't wait to see her new line of papers. If you read her blog, thats me in the second picture - all the way in the back - hiding behind someones head. Yep, thats me. She even refers to me as her 'Blog Stalker'. :) Everyone in her classes referred to themselves as Blog Stalkers. Too funny. Yep, we wait and wait and wait for people to update their blogs just to get a glimpse of their genius. Some pics of the class projects are posted on the Strictly Scrapbooking site but I will post some here later.

Just finished a bunch of altered wooden letters. The cool ones from Provo Craft. Can't find a direct link to them, but they're the 9 inch white letters. I covered them with patterned paper and embellishments. Love, love, love the way they came out. Pics to follow!

Just got the emails to order the Jenni Bowlin Monthly kits and the Scrapologie Monthly kits. If you haven't seen these two, you need too! Amazing amounts of product and the ideas are genius. Check out my links section. Jenni's had some problems with her site lately and if you read her blog, she's totally embarrassed. She shouldn't be. Her kits are always fresh and exciting and I know there are many of us who wait with baited breath each month for the announcement that they're ready. All of the changes to her site were designed for us and I totally appreciate it. Jenni - as Donna Downey would say "You ROCK!"

Off to bed. Its past my bedtime. For someone who has to get up at 3:30, I stay up too late! No, I'm not crazy, I just have to get up that early to get to work by 5 am. Its all worth it though because I get a three day weekend every week. Lots of scrappin' time.

Nite!

First Post - Welcome

What does a scrapbooker who has no children do? She travels. That's right, I travel. I drag my husband along on my journeys too. He secretly loves it, but will never admit it. He loves tropical places where he can tan under the shade of a palm tree. (Can you actually do that? YES!)
I will be updating the first content this week.

Welcome to my blog. Enjoy the journey.